Appliance for golf practice



July 4, 1933. B, vl RADLEY APPLIANCE FOR GOLF' PRACTICE Filed Feb. 17, 1950 -mmmwnvlmmulwwwwwwwnmwmh N Q @N /N vE-roR ,BERTRAM VENON RADLEY,

Patented July 4, 1933 Brinnnnr VERNON sammy, or sHALnoN, NEAR TEIGNMOUTH, ENGLAND rrraANcn ron Application filed Februaryi?, 19E-), Serial No.

This invention relates to appliances for golf practice of the type in` which a` plurality of balls are fed in succession to position for striking.

rlhis invention has for its object to provide an appliance for use in practicing golf shots of any length from drives to putts, the said appliance being adapted for practice both out-of-doors and in-doors andv is of simple :onstruction and adapted for use on ground or floor level. .I

In accordance with one aspect of this invention I provide anvappliancejfor golf practice, comprising a ball magazine, a teed ing cup vassociated therewith and "means for supplying balls to the said teeing cup one `by onefrom the said magazine at the will yof the player, the said means comprising a pivoted Acradle adapted to hold a ball land q to be recharged automatically from the magazine together with means for rocking said cradle about itsy pivot so as to raise the ball and cause it 'to run down an inclined slope and take up its position automatically on'the f' tee. The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention: y t Fig. 1 is a plan of the appliance comprising the ball teeing device and the filling chute. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the` magazine along line A-A in Fig. l.

' Fig. 3 .is a vertical section of the flat arm along the line B-B in Fig: l.y

Fig. t is a verticalsection ofthe filling r chute along line C -C inl Fig. 1.

Mounted on a base board, table or plate 2 in brackets 2 Vis a magazine 3 which entends lengthwise throughout a part of the base 2 and is inclinedd'own from the rear or ball-feed 'and open-end l ofthe magazine.v In front of the forward end of the magazine, which is thereat also open and beneath a hinged part of the magazine 3', is a cradle 6 which is A adapted to tilt lengthwise 'on journals or 5 trunmons 7 supported m bearings 8 at the respective sides of thecradle. The end 9 of the cradle which is next to the end of the magazine aforesaid vis cupped or (lished. At the other end 1 0 the cradley is shaped to form an i open-ended. duct. Between the front endof corr PRACTICE 428,982, and in Great Brltain March 1, 1929.

the cradle and itspivots a leverll, Whichlis I preferably integral lwith the cradle, extends lgut laterally therefrom, and is n vpreferably ent. I

` On the part of the base which is vforward 575 ,v of the cradleare fixed a pair of bars l2 spaced apart thus serving as a runway and side guards for the balls as hereinafter set forth. lase2'has' a handle 12",. y l

Pivotally or hingeably connected-to the basey aty 13,y near the front end'thereof, is a flat arm 14, preferably of vwood lined with metal for durability, which may be detachable. This arm 14 lies, when the appliance is ,i laid down for use, approximately at a right vangle to the base 2 against the end of which one side ofthe said arm abuts. The'arm can be turned to lie alongside the base for pack l purposes. i

in@r ilmmediately opposite thefrontl end of the base, the surface of the arm is cupped, to form a tee circle' 15, the centre of the 'cup being approximately in the centre line of theV arm. 'In the bottom and at the centre of the cup is a round hole or cavity 16, and dipping `down to this hole are depressions 17, 18, 19,' 20, disposed in'cruciform and converging on the hole, two beinglateral and 'two longitudinal. Ofthese depressions the lateral onev19 situated at the outer or S0 further side of the central holeis bordered by a V-pad stop or cushion 21. Thefcentre line ofthe Vj-pad 21 is also on the same centre line as that of the magazine 3, that is slightly to the right of the centre line of S5 the tee y15. This ygives the ball v23 a y slight spin .after striking and moving back from y the pad and this lspin tends to prevent the pad from being overrun Between each r side of the arm and thehole in the cupare holes or cavities 22 provided inthe lateral depressions. The recess may be either part lof the base board or be formed by a pad let into that board. The cup or the tee circle 15 so shaped and 95 holed constitutes a substitute for the ordinary tee and is a nest for the ball23 to settlein preparatory to being struck and shot out bythe player. The depressionsL y ball to.

19, 20, aforesaid give freedom to the of the cradle.

formation of the tee rock or oscillate before coming to rest over the hole or cavity 16 in the centre of the tee circle.

Holes 20, 20", are provided for pegging the magazine to the ground.

The method for working with the appliance is as follows:

Themagazine 3 and cradle 6 are so arranged that the centre line, passing through the magazine, cradle, and beween the guiding bars or strips l2, when produced, does not pass through the centre line of the hole 16 but is slightly to the right of it.

A plurality of balls is charged into the magazine at the feed end 4: thereof. The leading ball drops into the cradle 6 which is tilted down'at its rear end 9 and raised atthe forward end`10,`the ball remaining stationary` and holding back the next ball to follow, due to the disposition and shape of the rear part of the cradle. The side lever 11 of the cradle is next player, with his golf clubhead, and the cradle is thereby tilted `down at the forward end. The leading` ball runs out forward along the'runway 12 into the tee circle 15 of the arm 14 aforesaid. The stopor cushion 21 on the outer side of the tee circle l5 prevents the ball yfrom passing lout of the said circle and the ball comes to rest, as above set forth, in position for striking. As the leading ball passes out of the cradle 6, the latter tilts back to normal position and receives at its rear end the neXt ball in succession after it has been temporarily held back by the tail The action is repeated in respect of each ball coming down the inclined magazine.'

In making the shots, the balls freely leave the tee circle inthe line of play and, as the recess is such as to cause the balls to come to rest correctly over the central hole 16 even when the appliance lis not resting on a horizontal surface, but on ground causing it to be tilted to the right, the left, forwards or backwards, shots can be made from uphill and downhill lies and also those "where the ball is above or below the feet of the player.y v

The' appliance can therefore, be used to practice shots of'any kind except those from unusualV lies and from bunkers, provided the ground under the pivoted arm is freefrom hilloc'ks and un-evenness and the base plate also has a sufficient amount of contact with depressed by the theground for the appliance to stand firmly.

p The supply of balls to the magazine 3 is renewed as desired. This can be done directly by hand or through the'agency` of a means applied at the feed end t of 'the magazine 3. i'

As an example of such a means, an inclined filling chute 24 may be employed, one end 25 of such a chute resting on the ground or floor, and the other end 27 sloping up in the direction of the rear or feed end `of the magazine 3 whereat the chute is provided with a tray 28 having a central hole 26 below which is disposed an inclined chute 26 which may be detachably hooked to the magazine 3. The tray 28 is bordered at the back and rear end by an upwardly extending barrier 29, preferably adjustable vertically by a pin and slot device 29. The chute Q4 is suitablyr supported. by vertical legs 25', the walls Qet of the incline are carried only halfway upv the incline, the upper halves being turned down to give stiffness to the upper portion. c The chute 26 leads at its forward end into the magazine Viththis adjunct the balls are shot up the chute 241- from the ground and pass thence into the magazine 3. This obviates stooping to refill the magazine.

Variations in the constructional details and arrangements of parts may ube made, both in respect of the main appliance .and Aof an adjunct of a iillingchute and alsoV in re.-

spect ofthe putting arrangementsv without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An appliance for golf practice compris?l ing a 'ball magazine, a teeing cup associated therewith and means the said teeing cup one by one from said magazine at the will of the player, the said means comprising a pivoted cradle .adapted to hold a ball and to be recharged'automatically from the magazine togetherfwith means for rocking said cradle about its pivot so as to raise the ball and cause it to run down .an inclined slope and take up its position auto-r matica'lly on said tee, in combination with an eccentrically positioned stop adjacent saidl tee against which the ballis adapted to strike when delivered from said pivoted .cradle in orderto impart a `spinto the ball on contacting with said stop.`

in testimony whereof, I aiiiX my signature. BER-TEAM VERNON RADLEY.

for supplying lballs to lao 

